Means for casting ingots



A. MACMICHAEL AND c. scHlNK.

MEANS FOR CASTING INGOTS.

APPLICATION FILED Dc.14, 1920.

, 1,417,269. Patented May23,1922.'

UNITED STATES PATENT ePrice.

MEANS FOR CASTING INGOTS.

Speccatou of Letters Eatent.

Patented May 23, 1922.

Application filed December 14, 1920. Serial No. l$6,703.

To @ZZ lwhom t may concern:

Be it linown that we, ALEXANDER MAC- MICHAEL and CHARLES SCHINK, citizens of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful l'mprovements in Means for Casting Ingots, of which the following is a specication.

llhe object of this invention is to provide simple and efficient means whereby the access of air to molten metal while the same is being poured into 'a mold will be prevented and a serious source of weakness in the finished product thus obviated. rlhe invention provides means whereby the molten metal may be transferred from the ladle to the mold by the force of gravity andthe conveyer by which the transfer is effectedmay be shortened as the pouring proceeds so that separation of the fluid particles will be prevented and a solid ingot free of air cells will be produced.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings-v Figure 1 is a side elevation of our iinproved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same;

Fig. 3 is a plan view.

The mold 1 and the ladle 2 may be of any preferred or well-known form, the ladle being equipped with a bail or handle 3 whereby it may be suspended from a crane in the usual manner, as will be readily understood. The ladle is also provided with an outlet opening 4 in its bottom and a stopper or valve 5 is fitted in the ladle and operated in the usual manner.

In embodying. our invention in a metal pouring apparatus, we secure to the bottom of the ladle beams 6 which are disposed at opposite sides of the discharge opening l, as clearly shown in 2, and extend laterally beyond one side of the ladle, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. A nozzle or pouring spout is supported upon the beams 6 and consists of an upper section 7 which at its upper end is flared to fit close against the bottom of the discharge opening and is provided with a lateral flange 8 resting upon the lower inwardly projecting webs of the beams 6 and has its lower end free of projections so that it mav fit closely but slidablyv within the lower section 9 of the spout. The said lower section 9 is expanded slightly at its upper end, as shown at 10, to receive packing 1l which is compressed within the chamber produced by the expansion of the tube and around the upper section 7 by a gland 12 which is carried by the lower tubular section 9 and is secured thereto by bolts 13 fitted through the annular flange le on the tubular Section 9 and the flange 15 at the upper end of the gland. The flange ffl of the spout section 9 is so constructed as to project beyond the edge of the flange 15 and in its projecting portion is equipped with eyes 16 at diametrically opposite points in which are engaged the ends of cables 17. These cables 17 extend upwardly from the flange 14 and are trained around guide pulleys 18 carried by the beams 6, as shown. From the guide pulleys 18, the cable extends to drums 19 which are secured upon the ends of a shaft 20 which shaft is journaled in suitable bearings upon the beams 6 near the outer ends of the saine, as shown. Upon the beams, adjacent the said shaft 20, we mount a small electric motor 21, the shaft 22 of which is equipped with a pinion 23 meshing with a gear 24 secured upon the shaft 20 whereby when the circuit through the motor is closed and the motor thereby actuated the shaft 20 and the windingdrums 19 will be slowly rotated to wind the cables 17 and thereby raise the lower spout section 9. The said spout section 9 is provided near its lower end with an annular rib or flange-25 which is adapted to bear upon the upper surface of the molten metal in the mold and thereby prevent splashing of the same so that the entrance of air into the liquid metal will be prevented and separation of the fluid particles overcome.

In operation, the fluid metal is delivered into the ladle in the usual manner, the stopper or valve 5 being in closed position. When the ladle and a mold have been brought into proper relative position the spout section 9 is lowered in the mold until it touches or is close to the bottom thereof, after which the stopper is disengaged from the discharge opening and the metal permitted to flow through the spout into the mold. llfhen the level of the liquid in the mold reaches the flange or rib 25 at the lower end of the spout, the motor is started and the cables will be then wound so that the lower spout section 9 will be lifted as the level of the metal in the mold rises and it will be understood, of course, that the gearing` whereby the motor is connected with the winding drum shaftwill be timed so that the drums will rotate at a speed cor responding to the speed with which the metal flows into the mold. The air which may be Within the spout prior to the pour- 'ing of the metal is permitted to escape around the lower end of the spout and between the edge of the flange and the end walls of the mold, and the metal entering` the mold will pass into the same out ol direct contact with the air so that no air will be drawn into the metal to commingle therewith and separate the luid particles. The telescopic construction et the discharge spout or nozzle permits the same to be reduced in length as the metal rises in the mold and etfectually guards against the entrace ot air into the interior of the metal inasmuch as the stream of metal is enclosed by the spout through its entire length. The gland l2 and packing 1l effeotually prevent .leakage ot air between the sections ot the discharge spout while at the same time permittingthe tree relative movement thereof.

`Having.thus described the infrei'ition, what is claimed as new is:

l. In an apparatus 'for casting ingots, the combination with a mold, and a ladle disposed above the mold, ot a telescopic dis chargespout carried by the ladle and adapted to enter the mold.

2. In an apparatus 'torcastinpi 'ingotrfr the combination with a n1old,`and a ladle, ol a telescopic. discharge spout carried by the ladle to direct the metal into the moldy and means carried by theladle for reducing the etl'ective length ol the said spout as the level otthe metal in the mold rises.

3. vIn an apparatus for castingingots, the combination ot a ladle, a mold, adischarge `pout carried by the ladle and comprising an upper relatively lined section and a lower .section adapted to enter the mold but slidably tit upon vthe upper section, and means carried by Vthe ladle for raising the said lower section the metal in the mold.

4f. ln an apparatius lor casting ingcts, the combination of `a mold, a ladle, a discharge spout carried by the ladle and comprising an unner relativelj,Y lined section and a lower l ion slidably fitted upon the upper section and adapted toenter the mold, the upper end ot said lower section beinpy expanded, pa ning; litted in the expanded portion ot the lower section, a gland carried by the lower section and con'ipressing said packing` around the upper section, and means carried lijr the ladle l'or raisii'ig' the lower section as the metal rises in the mold.

5. n an apparatus tor casting ing-ots, the combination or a mold, a ladle, spaced beams secureail to the rbottoni oft' the ladle at opposite sides oit the discharge opening therein and extending laterallyr beyond the ladle., a telescoi'iic discharge spout carried by said beams in alinernent with the (lischarge opening," in the ladle, guide pulleys upon `said beams, a winding,r shaftt mounted upon the outer' portions ot the beams, a motor supported on the beams and operatively connected with said winding; shaft, drums secured on said sha'lt, and cables attached to said drums and to the lower section of the telescopic discharge `spout and having their intermediate portions trained over the said guide pulleys.

In testimony whereoiLl we affix our signatures.

ALEXANDER MacMlcHAEL. CHARLES scHiNK. 

